The Best Nature Photos In The World

The Best Nature Photos In The World

Nature is beautiful and amazing and those who manage to capture amazing nature moments with the lens of a camera are truly talented. We’ve scoured the internet to find you the absolute best nature photos that have ever been taken and they are truly awe-inspiring. From wildlife photos, all the way to landscape photos, we have it all right here. If you love nature, then this is the place for you. Read on to discover some of the most amazing nature photos of all time. Be prepared to be amazed at the skills of some of these world-class photographers who may have even put their lives at risk to capture the perfect shot.

1. Family Time

This wildlife photo, taken by photographer Alejandro Prieto was taken at Rio Lagartos in the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico. The photo came in second place in National Geographic’s photo contest. In it, both mother and father take turns feeding their flamingo chick.

National Geographic

The juxtaposition between the bright pink adults and the gray chicks really adds a special quality to the photo. Did you know that flamingos aren’t born pink? As one can see, they’re actually born grey and their feathers eventually turn pink due to their diet of brine shrimp and blue-green algae.

2. The Pink Lagoon

You know that flamingos are, but who knew that bodies of water could be pink too? That is exactly the case with this lake, Lake Natron in Tanzania. The waters are a bright pink color because of salt-tolerant algae that thrive in the waters during the dry season.

amazingstuff.co.uk

During the summer months, the water temperature can reach up to 140 degrees Fahrenheit! No wonder nothing can live in the water. Even more interesting, dead animals that fall into the pink waters of Lake Natron are slowly petrified because of the high salt content.

3. Beautiful Yet Deadly

Lake Abraham in Canada’s Alberta province is full of frozen underwater bubbles, as captured in this breathtaking nature photo. Bubbles full of methane gas are shown trying to escape the frozen lake. The pockets of gas that are trapped under the surface of the lake are highly flammable.

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The bubbles are formed after dead materials sink to the lake’s floor. They are then eaten by bacteria that release the methane gas. So watch out where you’re lighting your fires! The more the arctic lakes melt, the more this methane gas is entering our atmosphere.

4. The March of the Monarchs

This is a photograph of the monarch butterfly migration that occurs twice a year. They travel an astounding 3,000 miles. The migration starts east of the Rocky Mountains and ends in central Mexico. Their arrival in Mexico coincides with the festival of Dia de los Muertos.

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The extraordinary migration of the monarch butterflies has astounded scientists for centuries. It is unknown how they are able to fly the exact same route year after year when they are never the same butterflies. Just another one of nature’s wonders.

5. Herding the Reindeer

This amazing photograph was taken by Martin Olson and shows reindeer being herded in Sweden. Reindeer are herded once a year in order to get them to better grazing pastures during the freezing winter months (they travel south… not to the North Pole, unfortunately).

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This photograph was chosen as the National Geographic editor’s favorite and we can certainly see why. There is something very haunting in the contrast from black to white and the reindeer’s formation, making them look almost soldier-like. For more amazing wildlife photographs, read on!

6. Rainbow Trees

This curious nature photograph shows a unique tree of many colors. It’s known as the eucalyptus deglupta, or rainbow eucalyptus for short. The trees are native to the Philippines, New Guinea and Indonesia and can grow up to 250 feet tall.

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As the outer bark sheds, it reveals a bright green inner bark. That bark slowly darkens which gives it tints of blue, purple, orange and maroon. As this process doesn’t occur at the same time all around the tree, different colors appear at once.

7. The Arachno-pocalypse

No, it’s not snowing, it’s spidering. All this white webbing is actually from spiders. Large floods in Australia caused spiders to move to higher ground. And how do they move quickly? They use their webs like a hot air balloon.

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That’s pretty ingenious when you think about it, but terrifying for anyone caught in their sticky path, especially if you’re afraid of spiders. The webbing in the nature photograph above covered around half a mile of land.

8. A Spring Shower

This monkey in Bali, Indonesia is just taking a rest during a spring shower. Not wanting to get his fur all wet, he decided to use a large leaf as an umbrella. How smart is that! The monkeys in Bali are known to be quite mischievous and sometimes steal items from tourists.

worldphoto.org

They especially love anything shiny. Stealing cell phones is also a popular hobby for them. But not to fear; you can usually get your items back in exchange for a tasty treat. Monkeys know how to work the system!

9. Christmas Island Red Crabs

If you’re on the Australian territory of Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean, then you’ll find out that the migration of the crabs is a huge deal. At one point in the island’s history there were around 43.7 million red crabs inhabiting the island. During their migration season, the island takes special precautions.

buzzfeed.com

The islanders build crab-ways (like crab highways) to make sure they can get to the sea safely. They even close roads and build walls to guide their journey safely. And it’s not just for the crabs, it’s also for the humans. The red crab’s exoskeleton is strong enough to pierce tires!

10. After a While Crocodile

This black-and-white photo of a crocodile was taken in South Africa by a photographer that was taking pictures of water birds. If you look closely enough you will also see a dead white moth floating in the water near the crocodile’s teeth.

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Crocodiles are deadly creatures that can span up to 16.4 feet long and weigh up to 1,650 pounds. The average crocodile can outrun a human in short distances and stay underwater for up to an hour. While they are underwater, they can still see, hear and smell.

11. Poseidon’s Wrath

This photo, entitled “Monster from the Deep,” was taken by photographer Paul Kingston near Seaham, England. In the photo a massive wave can be seen crashing into a lighthouse on England’s North East coast. What a terrifying sight!

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This massive wave is almost four times as tall as the lighthouse and certainly came crashing down with extraordinary power. While the lighthouse most likely remained intact after the assault, any people outside of the safety of the lighthouse’s walls wouldn’t have been so lucky.

12. Giant’s Causeway

This amazing picture of nature is called Giant’s Causeway and is located in Northern Ireland. The site was named a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1986. The unusual rock formations were created as a result of an ancient volcanic fissure eruption.

earthtrekkers.com

There are around 40,000 hexagonal columns at this amazing site and the tallest columns are 39 feet high. Giant’s Causeway is a popular tourist destination in Northern Ireland and has been rated as the fourth greatest natural wonder in the United Kingdom.

13. Death Valley

This amazing picture of nature was taken at Death Valley National Park, which is located along the border of California and Nevada. It shows one of the infamous “moving rocks” that exist on a dry lake bed. The rocks leave tracks in their wake that are clearly visible.

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The phenomena has left scientists stumped for centuries but they now believe that the stones are able to shift when the dry lake bed freezes over and strong winds push against the rocks. Making it all stranger is that some of these “rocks” weigh up to 700 pounds. One thing is for sure, though: they make for some of the best nature pictures available.

14. School is in Session

This photograph may look like it was taken right out of the movie Finding Nemo, but it is a real picture of nature in action. The photo was taken by Jennifer O’Neil off the coast of the Dutch island of Bonaire in the Caribbean Sea.

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About a quarter of all fish travel in schools for the entirety of their lives, while half will travel in a school for only part of their lives. Fish tend to travel with fish that are similar in appearance and size to their own.

15. Man O’ War

This haunting image was taken by photographer Matthew Smith and won the People’s Choice Award for underwater photography for National Geographic. This terrifying creature is known as a Portuguese man o’ war. While it may seem like a jellyfish, a man o’ war is actually quite different.

sohu.com

Thousands of these creatures wash up on Australian shores annually and are well-known for stinging humans, which can be extremely painful. The man o’ war’s venom is strong enough to paralyze small fish and other prey. So if you’re ever in the Pacific, Atlantic, or Indian oceans, watch out for these monsters!

16. Blue Lagoon

When it comes to nature photography, Iceland is a major destination. This is a picture of Iceland’s Blue Lagoon, which is a naturally occurring geothermal spa located in a lava field. The pools are said to contain healing properties.

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The Blue Lagoon is one of Iceland’s major tourist destinations with visitors vying to bathe in the hot waters. The water in the Blue Lagoon averages around 99-102 degrees Fahrenheit. Read on for more amazing photographs of nature.

17. Hyena Pack

This incredible wildlife photograph was taken by the courageous Adam Zaff. A pack of hyenas were attempting to take down two lionesses, which the pack of hyenas had identified as old or injured. But who was victorious in the end?

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The two lionesses were successful in warding off the attacking hyena pack. Amazingly both lionesses were unscathed in the assault that lasted around 30 minutes. Hyenas in large number can easily take down much larger prey than themselves. This photo was taken in Amboseli, Kenya.

18. Ice Flowers

This amazing picture of nature shows a calm sea with frozen ice blooms on the water’s surface. The photo was taken by Jeffrey Bowman and captures the natural phenomenon at sunset. The frost “flowers” usually only bloom in cold conditions with little wind.

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Growing around four centimeters each, the frost flowers appear in clusters and have a high salt content which releases salinity into the air. Few people witness the phenomenon as it only occurs in the harsh colder seas, when human habitation is scarce.

19. Food For Thought

This photographer captured the moment that a mother red fox caught a wild rabbit to take back to her den to feed her five kids. This fascinating wildlife picture was taken by Shane Kalyn in a remote location in eastern Kansas.

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The red fox is the largest of the fox family and is considered one of the “world’s 100 worst invasive species.” They are highly cunning and easily adapt to new environments. Despite its name, not all red foxes are of red color.

20. Great Grey Owl

This amazing wildlife photo was voted the people’s choice winner in the National Geographic Photo Contest. The photo was taken by Harry Collins near Newport, New Hampshire. In the photo you see a great grey owl swooping down to capture its lunch.

National Geographic

While it’s not in the photo, the great grey owl is most likely hunting a mouse or some other rodent, which makes up the majority of its diet. The great grey owl is also sometimes known as “The Phantom of the North.”

21. Pools in the Rocks

This photo, taken by photographer Todd Kennedy, won the aerial category of the National Geographic Photo Contest. This natural rock pool is located in Collaroy, New South Wales, Australia. A local can be seen swimming in the natural pool, avoiding the crowded Australian beaches.

National Geographic

Is there a better way to get in some exercise than swimming laps in your own secret pool, hidden away from the general population? We don’t think so! Read on to discover some more amazing pictures of nature.

22. Happy Penguins

If you need a reason to smile, just take a look at these happy penguins racing back to their nest in the fierce Arctic cold. This photo was taken by photographer Paul Goldstein and was an editor’s favorite photo in the wildlife category.

nhmimages.com

Penguins are native to the Southern Hemisphere, but it might surprise you to hear that they don’t all live in cold Arctic climates. In fact, most penguins live in warmer areas and one kind, the Galapagos penguin, lives close to the equator.

23. Wing Span

Hungarian photographer Bence Mate captured this Great Cormorant at the perfect moment while the bird was taking a bath. The water droplets in the background amazingly look like the night sky, full of stars. Mate was named the BBC wildlife photographer of the year.

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Mate is also the only photographer in history to win both the young and adult Grand Prize. According to the Bridge Budapest association, he is the “ninth most well-known Hungarian in the world.” Read on for more amazing pictures of nature.

24. Grazing Ponies

This wildlife picture shows a herd of ponies grazing in a snowy field. The photo was taken by Nick Kontostavlakis and won a Sony World Photography Award in 2016. Thankfully these ponies have thick coats! It looks quite cold there.

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This photograph was taken by Kontostavlakis in Greece. Ponies are essentially small horses and can be used by children learning to ride a horse. Read on for some more amazing nature pictures that you wont believe are real.

25. The Lizard and the Crab

As far as nature pictures go, this one takes the cake. This Galapagos Marine Iguana was caught in the middle of a sneeze while a bright red-and-yellow crabs scuttled about nearby. This photo was taken by photographer M. Engelmann.

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The Galápagos marine iguana is unique because it has the ability to forage for food in the sea, unlike its other lizard relatives. This iguana feeds exclusively on algae that it finds in the waters. The vivid colors and unusual pairing of animals makes this photo very unique.

26. Beetle in the Moon

This amazing wildlife photograph was taken by photographer Simona Tedesco. Tedesco won a Sony World Photography Award for this it. It shows a rhino beetle standing in front of a full moon. That must have been a difficult photo to capture.

thedigeon.com

The rhino beetle is nocturnal, spending the daytime in hiding, generally underneath logs or other vegetation. When the beetle is disturbed, it releases a terrifying hiss to ward off any attackers. Read on to discover more amazing pictures of nature.

27. Fearsome Geladas

This amazing wildlife photograph was taken by Alejandro Cupi in the Amhara region of Ethiopia. This fearsome creature is known as a gelada, or sometimes referred to as a bleeding-heart monkey or gelada baboon. It is estimated that around 3,000 geladas inhabit this area of Ethiopia.

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As frightening as this gelada might appear in the photo, they are actually grass eaters and this one was most likely only trying to ward off any intruders from getting too close to the herd. In recent years, the gelada populations have drastically decreased due to human hunting and agricultural expansion.

28. Home of the Gods

This unusual cloud formation was photographed above Mount Olympus, home of the ancient Greek gods. This type of cloud is known as a Lenticular cloud, which generally resembles lenses or saucers. They commonly are misconstrued as UFO sightings.

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Seeing a UFO above Mount Olympus seems fitting. Perhaps the mythological Greek Gods are returning to their mountain home. The mountain has been designated as a national park since 1938 and was the very first one in Greece. Read on for more amazing nature pictures.

29. Mammatus

This rare cloud formation is called a mammatus cloud, which is essentially an upside-down cloud. These clouds generally signify that the worst part of a storm is over. The name, mammatus, comes from the Latin word “mamma,” which means udder.

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These clouds are so rare that scientists only have theories as to how and why they form, but no concrete explanations. Read on to see more of the best nature pictures ever taken by some of the world’s best photographers.

30. Play Time

This dolphin is enjoying being tickled by some tourists. Dolphins are highly intelligent creatures and highly sociable. They generally live in pods consisting of multiple other dolphins and communicate through a series of clicks and whistles.

viramundoemundovirado.com

In fact, dolphins are so smart that they have been used by navies around the world. The US Navy currently uses dolphins for locating lost or trapped humans, or for sniffing out mines. Rumors have also circulated that some navies have trained dolphins to kill humans.

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